Nature or Nurture?
by mellra
Summary: When the Androids destroyed Gero's lab, they unknowingly damaged the computer creating Cell. Hatched prematurely and with limited knowledge of the world around him, will the bio-android become the monster he was created to be, or something more? Challenge story.


**Disclaimer:** I only own what I write about in my dreams. Also my nightmares.

 **AN:** During my time on this site, I've seen several DBZ stories where some of the main villains such as Frieza and Cell get redeemed in some way. This happens due to the characters giving them a second chance, a sudden relationship, or suddenly developing amnesia like Goku did as a baby. However, I came up with a redemption story with a unique spin on things. You see, I believe Cell (who is my first favorite DBZ villain followed by Frieza/Cooler then Broly) was largely evil thanks to the programming he received through Dr. Gero's computer his entire life telling him what he was and what his purpose is. This goes along with the old question of whether a person is evil through nature or by nurture. In this story, when Androids 17 and 18 destroyed Gero's lab in Future Trunks' timeline, while the room creating Cell was largely undamaged, the computer was broken to the point that it would only tell Cell his name and some basic knowledge on the outside world. Also, the damage caused would have Cell released several years (about 2-3 before the movie History of Trunks) before he was supposed to, making him an adolescent.

When he is 'born', Cell wanders the surrounding area, only knowing his name and some basic facts on the world around him. As he travels, he starts unconsciously releasing his energy. Son Gohan, training to fight the Androids, suddenly feels the energy of several individuals at the same place, most of it belonging to people who were dead. Cautious, Gohan travels to the area and finds the teenaged Cell. When finding out the strange creature has no idea what he is or how he came to be, Gohan, being the kind soul that he was, offers Cell to come with him to hopefully find out the answers. Time passes, and Gohan introduces Cell to some of the survivors, namely Bulma and Trunks. He also starts training the bio-android during this time and finds out that he not only has energy similar to his father's, Vegeta, and Piccolo, but Cell also picks up on techniques fast (thanks to the attacks being imprinted on his DNA, not that either of them realize this). During this timeframe, they learn about how Cell 'eats' things after he accidently absorbs a man by instinct when he tries to attack Bulma. Swearing to never kill another innocent human again, Cell starts hunting animals to feed his urges and unknowingly increase his own power.

During the events of History of Trunks, Cell also goes to fight the Androids with both Gohan and Trunks. However, due to him still being slightly weaker than the Androids, plus him not knowing much about his own body, he is defeated along with the two half-Saiyans. Later, he is knocked out with Trunks when Gohan goes to fight the Androids alone, and is equally devastated by the man's death. Whenever Trunks goes to fight the Androids the last time before using the time machine, Cell also goes to get revenge for Gohan. Now slightly stronger due to 'feeding' and also training with the new Super Saiyan Trunks, Cell is able to hold his own better against the Androids. However, due to the Androids having better teamwork and having more experience fighting skilled fighters, they still hold their own. Just when it looks like they are about to lose, Cell's instincts kick in once more and he's able to absorb an off guard 17. With his new power and form, Cell is then easily able to defeat and absorb 18 as well, becoming Perfect.

Both Trunks and Cell then take a few months beginning the restoration effort after the Androids were defeated. Bulma then completes the time machine and offers the two fighters to use it to go back to before the Androids first appeared to either change their own future, or at least create one timeline without the devastation of the Androids. Since the time machine was too small for two people, Cell is able to regress to his infant stage like canon Cell thanks to him gaining a greater understanding of his body by becoming Perfect. The two travel back to when Frieza and King Cold arrive, and Cell, needing time to recover his energy, offers to stay behind and hibernate for the three years before the Androids arrive, also because they didn't know if changing the past like this would cause Cell to disappear and if he didn't, he'd still be around to help the other Z Fighters when the time was right.

Later near the beginning of the Cell Saga, Cell awakens when Trunks comes back to the past and, realizing he still needs to gather some more energy to regain his full power, stays behind to hunt some animals to bring his remaining strength back. However, just as he regains enough strength to go back to his Perfect form, he learns of a strange creature killing the people of nearby cities and that the Z Fighters had discovered a second time machine. He then meets up with Piccolo and canon Cell, and he then learns of his origins as canon Cell tells his own. Disgusted by canon Cell's actions and purpose, Cell decides that he prefers the life he set up in the future and swears to fight with the Z Fighters. The story continues from there.

A few rules/thoughts on the story: I have no pairings planned outside of canon ones, but if the person who adopts this wants to create an OC for Future Trunks and Cell, then I won't strongly object just no Mary Sues. Also, while I thought Cell's first Imperfect form was the coolest, I didn't care much for his other two forms. The second form was as ugly as sin and the Perfect form looked like something out of Power Rangers, so I'm thinking of having the forms changed for Future Cell possibly as a result of awakening early. I think the second form could look like a mix between Cell and Super Janemba, while the Perfect form can look something like King Meruem from Hunter x Hunter (minus the whole helmet head). Personality wise, Cell can be somewhat like his Abridged version minus the creepy sadism. This story is somewhat similar in design to my one challenge Perfect Shinobi, but it lacks the Naruto or any crossover elements as this is pure DBZ.

Again, _**CHALLENGE**_ people! I have no plans to continue this, so if you wish to see more than this, you need to either adopt it yourself or find a friend who might be interested. For now though, enjoy!

 **Nature or Nurture?**

Deep in the bowels of a mountain that looked as though a large bomb had exploded on it, lay the secret underground lab of Dr. Gero. A few years ago, the doctor had created two human based androids named 17 and 18 to kill his sworn enemy, Son Goku, who had destroyed the Red Ribbon Army that he worked back when the warrior was but a small child. Unfortunately for the evil scientist, the androids turned against their creator, killing him and reducing his mountain lair to rubble in the process. The two beings then went off to wreak havoc on the world. However, laying deep below the now destroyed lair, was the doctor's lab that was nearly untouched by the destruction of the Android's departure. Within the lab, Gero's greatest creation lay in a dormant state.

You see, back when Gero had begun his project on getting revenge on Son Goku, he had started working on a biologically created Android that he named Cell. The creature was to be composed of the cells from some of the strongest fighters in the galaxy, including Son Goku and numerous amounts of his friends and enemies. Cell was also created to merge with 17 and 18 upon his birth to become the perfect warrior. However, due to the project taking so long, the doctor had decided to leave the project up to his computer, which worked tirelessly to grow, raise, and nurture Cell until he was ready to be unleashed upon the world. This computer was designed to tell the developing android all sorts of things, from his purpose, to the world around him, and give him complete understanding of his body. For the first few years, the computer did its job flawlessly, raising Cell from an embryo stage to giving it information on the world around him. However, just as Cell reached the age where the computer would start teaching the being of its purpose and the secrets of his body, the Androids broke free from the doctor.

In most universes, the underground lab would have remained untouched by the explosion, allowing the computer to continue to 'educate' Cell till he was fully grown, where he would proceed to become one of the biggest threats the galaxy and its protectors have ever faced. In this universe, however, fate had a different plan in mind. When the explosion occurred, several support beams were weakened. One of which fell through a hole in the upper floors, smashing into Gero's computer. While the computer wasn't destroyed, it was damaged significantly. The information that it was preparing to give to the infantile Cell was corrupted, most of it being lost. The only thing that was left was some basic information on Earth, things that most children are taught, and Cell's own name. This information was relayed to the developing bio-android, altering the course of the planet forever.

 **3 Years Before The History of Trunks**

'W-where am I? What…is going on?' a creature thought as it seemed to float in a strange fluid. 'I…remember a voice. It said my name is Cell? And…it taught me things. The voice is outside,' the creature began to push its developing legs against some sort of wall holding him in the fluid, which began to crack from the pressure. '…Where I must be!'

With that, the now named Cell pushed hard against the wall, which is shown to be a glass container of some sort. The glass shattered, causing the liquid to rain down on the ground as Cell's body fell to the floor with a thump. Breathing heavily, Cell stood still for several minutes before opening his eyes, which showed to be a bright scarlet with slit pupils. Cautiously, he moved one leg in front of the other, slowly taking his first steps. As he went further and further from his position, Cell grew more and more confident in his ability to move. Satisfied in his own mobility for now, Cell looked around his surroundings. The area was dark, but his eyes had no trouble seeing the area. He appeared to be in a cave of sorts, though it looked more manmade then natural. Various pieces of scientific equipment filled the small space, each looking delicate yet important. There were to things that caught the newborn's interest, however. The first was the remains of the tube he had broken out of, which still dripped fluid down on the ground. It was also connected to the second point of interest of Cell: a large computer located directly in the center of the room.

Somehow, Cell knew this was the source of the voice that spoke to him while he was…sleeping? It was how he knew what a computer was, and that he was in a cave. Moving closer to get a better look, the being noticed the surface of the computer, while somewhat dusty, had enough shine to show Cell his reflection. Cell was able to get a look at himself for the first time. He resembled an insect of sorts, with newly forming chitin coating his body, horn like appendages on his head, four legs, and a beaklike mouth, as well as his slit pupiled red eyes. Looking over his appearance, he became aware that his body was small, about the size of a domesticated cat, and he somehow felt this was smaller than he was meant to be. Moving his gaze to further look over the source of the voice, he noticed a large metal beam, which seems to have fallen from the crumbling ceiling above him, had crashed down right on top of the computer. Despite this, the device seemed to work to some degree, but most of its functions were nonoperational.

After waiting a few minutes, the newborn figured the machine was no longer working, so there was no more voice to tell him things. "I-I guess I go on my own from here…but to where? And how?" he asked himself in his raspy sounding voice for the first time.

The insect-like bio-android started searching over the room he was in to see if there was any way out. Finally, he found an opening in the wall with air flowing through it that was just big enough for him to squeeze his quadruped body through. Once outside, Cell closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling of wind blowing on his face for the first time. When he opened them, he saw he was in a mountainous region of sorts, with the area he just came out of being what looked like the remains of what was once another tall mountain, but now a pile of rubble. Seeing the lush green forests out in the distance, Cell decided that he'd travel down there, as the land looked much more hospitable than the mountainous wastelands he was in currently. Moving as fast as his short four legs could carry him, he moved down the mountainside.

 **2 Months Later**

Cell gave an irritated grunt as he rubbed his back against a tree. For the past few days, his exoskeleton had been feeling uncomfortably tight and itchy, almost as if it was a large scab over his entire body. When he came down from the mountain a while back, he'd been living aimlessly throughout the woods eating nuts and berries when he came across them and drinking from nearby streams. Cell felt lost, as he was no closer to finding out his purpose then he was when he was born. To top it all off, most animals seemed wary to approach him, as his was an unnatural presence in the forest. Back to the matter at hand, Cell gave a groan as he finally felt his skin seem to give somewhat to his scratching. Suddenly though, a loud CRACK rang through the area and Cell's pupils dilated as an odd feeling rang through his being. There was no real describing it, but what he did know was that it felt like he needed to… _stand up!_

Cell decided to act on this feeling, and to the outside observer, it looked like an insect molting. A large crack went along Cell's spine, and a new form started to make its way out into the world. What couldn't be seen, however, was the energy that was subconsciously releasing, energy that, to the trained individual, could be felt across the globe.

 **Scene Shift**

A young man in his early twenties named Son Gohan looked up from his training with a start. "Dad…? And…Vegeta and Piccolo?! Is that Frieza and his father…all in the same spot?! What the hell is going on here?!" With that, a bright aura surrounded the young man as he flew off into the distance.

 **Back with Cell**

Cell was gasping from the huge effort he just made, staring down at what used to be his body in muted shock. Looking over to a nearby stream, he saw his new appearance. Unlike his larval form, the newly formed Cell was fully upright on two legs. His facial features were similar to his previous one, and he still retains beak-like mouth along with his red, slit pupil eyes. The two sections of his head shoot off in different directions in a V-shape. He had orange color parts near his abdominal area, the back of his head, and even near his groin area. He had two wings which are both emerald green with black spots. He had an emerald green and lime green mix all over his exoskeleton (including head, arms and legs). He had three fingers and three toes. The bio-android also found a whipping tail with a stinger included at the end of it that extended from his back. He had black sections as well near his abdominal area, in the middle between the two sections on his head, and even the black part of opposite side of his tail. Cell even has azure veins in both of his arms, legs, and even some in the upper body.

He continued to stare at his three fingered hands in amazement, flexing them into fists before opening them again several times. He then flexed his toes that curled into the dirt, noting that his feet were nearly as flexible as his hands. "Well…" he said in a slightly deeper but still raspy if not surprised voice, "…didn't see that coming."

Suddenly, he felt something approaching. It was like he could actually sense the energy of the beings around him, and with that he was able to sense something approaching him at incredible speeds. Before Cell could decide whether to hide or not, the being arrived. Staring up, the bio-android saw what appeared to be a young human male (though he still wasn't completely sure _how_ he knew that) that appeared to be in his early twenties, _floating_ in the air! He had shorty, spikey black hair and an orange gi over a blue training vest with matching wristbands and boots. The man stared at the insect like creature in surprise, but he mostly kept his emotions in check with just the widening of the eyes and lifting of the eyebrows to convey his shock.

There was a tense silence in the clearing for several moments as the two beings eyed each other. Finally, the human was the first to break the silence by asking, "Who…or what…are you?"

Cell, despite not having any real interactions before, could detect the hostile undertones to the question that said 'if I don't like your answer, I'll obliterate you.' He gulped nervously, unsure of how to respond. Deciding to take the plunge he replied, "Well, I know my name is Cell, but other than that, I'm not too sure."

The man cocked an eyebrow as he lowered himself to the ground. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"To be honest, I don't really know much about myself. Somehow, I know my name and some general information on the world around me, like how I know you're a human being, but other than that I know nothing. I've only…I think I've only been born recently somewhere in the mountains a few miles from here in this strange cave, and I have had close to no other interaction since then. I've been living around here for a while, but suddenly my body just changed! Do you…do you have any idea what I am?" he asked the last question hopefully. While he knew he was revealing quite a bit, this was the first interaction with a fellow sentient being he's ever had, and Cell wished to get everything he's been wondering lately off his chest (1).

 **POV Change**

Gohan didn't know what to make of this Cell. His appearance was certainly frightful, but he held the demeanor of a frightened child. Plus there was his energy, which seemed to be a mix of several different sources, most of which were dead. But the energy was weak, about the range of the Ginyu Force he and his friends faced on Namek all those years ago (2). In this day and age, with the two Androids running amok, you could never be too careful who to trust. Many people had resorted to becoming desperate scavengers in the wake of the Androids, but even though they had no chance of hurting him, Gohan knew next to nothing about this strange creature. He was born in the mountains nearby? He had no knowledge other than his name and some general facts that a toddler should be taught? It seemed fairly suspicious.

'What would you do, Father…everyone?' he wondered mentally. He knew how Vegeta and Piccolo would react, they wouldn't take any chances and kill the thing before it had the chance to be a threat. However, knowing his father Son Goku, Gohan knew he'd do the kind thing, and in his mind, the right thing.

Making his decision, Gohan gave a nonthreatening smile to Cell and reached out a hand before saying, "Well Cell, my name is Son Gohan. While I don't really know what you are, what do you say to finding out together?" While he held up a calm façade, Gohan was ready to act at a moment's notice if Cell acted hostile in any way.

Cell stared at the offered hand for a few moments before what looked to be a soft smile forming on his beaklike mouth as he grasped the offered hand with his three fingered on. "Thanks, Son Gohan….I would like that," Cell said, wondering if this person was to become a word he was taught but had limited knowledge on…a friend.

1\. I noticed Cell seemed pretty chatty with Piccolo during his entrance. I'm thinking part of it, besides the usual villain monologue, was because he had no one to really talk to before then. Everyone else before then was either running from him or food.

2\. No idea how strong Cell was when he first 'evolved', so I chose a form that was weak by current DBZ standards, but way stronger than the average human.


End file.
